There comes a time in everyone’s workout routine when you need to take things to a new level. Jogging, push ups, and skipping rope are awesome, as are dumbbells and other weights. But, there’s nothing quite as body sculpting as adding in some more serious body weight exercises.
A lot of people think a pull up is simply a pull up. However, there are many varieties such as narrow grip and wide grip, that work different parts of your body. You also have chin up, dips, and more.
A great piece of equipment for this type of workout is the power tower. Keep reading for reviews of three of the top power towers you can use in your home.
What to Look for in a Quality Power Tower
Not all power towers are the same. Finding the right one for you is important as making the wrong choice can be both frustrating and even a little dangerous.
As the tower is going to be supporting your entire body weight, you want to make sure the frame is strong enough for you. If you’re on the lighter side, any tower should do. But if you’re a bit heavier, you really want to read the fine print and see how much weight the tower you’re considering can support. Another aspect you should look at is the functionality. Some towers are very bare bones, as in they are great for pull ups, chin ups, and dips, but not much else. Other power towers have additional features such as push up handles and connections for sling strips, which increase the amount of exercises you can do with the tower.
Reviews of Our Top Choices
There are a lot of options when shopping for a power tower for you home. Here are some of the better choices when compared against the rest.
Stamina 1690 Power Tower
The Stamina 1690 is a bare bones budget model power tower that simply allows you to get the job done. There’s aren’t any bells or whistles, but for the budget minded, it’s a great choice.
Don’t let its simplicity fool you. Though it doesn’t look like much, you can easily use it dips, push ups, sit ups, chin ups, and all sorts of pull ups.
MAJOR FEATURES
This first you notice about the 1690 is that it’s fairly simple. While some people might think that’s a bad thing, the reality is the simpler a training tool the less there is to break. It also means that there’s not much cheating you can do by letting the machine do the work instead of your body.The Stamina 1690 is made of a steel frame so you know it’s strong and solid. And, all the ends have safe no-slip end caps so you don’t have to worry about injuring from sharp metal.
Features include:
- Slim Freestanding Design – This unit’s measurements are 50 x 81.5 x 41.5 inches making it a perfect power tower for your home when you have limited space.
- Just Enough Weight – When fully assembled it weighs in at 54 pounds. That makes it heavy enough to stay in place but light enough to move by yourself if necessary.
- Foam Grips – Foam padded grips help you keep hold of the bars while protecting your palms and shins.
PROS & CONS
- Affordable – For budget friendly shoppers, this is an excellent choice. You can get a solid workout without having to dig too deep in your wallet.
- Easy to Assemble – This is a simple design and assembly is a breeze.
- Weight Limited – This is not a unit for those on the larger side (~200+ pounds).
Body Champ VKR1010 Power Tower
The Body Champ VKR1010 is more of a midrange option than the Stamina 1690. Just by the look test you can see it’s a little bigger and little sturdier.
The Body Champ VKR1010 is about as close as you can get to the image someone has in their head when you say the words power tower. It has everything you need, and it won’t cost a premium.
MAJOR FEATURES
The VKR 1010 gives you everything you need to get a fcomplete upper body workout. You can also target your core.
The frame has multiple stations for: pull ups & chin ups, dips, knee raises, and push ups. There are no fancy electronics, weights, or extras. It’s just a solid tool that does the job its intended for.
Features include:
- Durable – The entire frame is made of steel, so you don’t have to worry about it folding under pressure.
- Well Balanced – Weighing in at 88 pounds, the design is well balanced and doesn’t feel like it will topple over every time to try to do a pull up.
- Cushions – The cushions for your back and forearms let you focus on your dips, not worry about steel pushing into your bones.
PROS & CONS
- Easy to Assemble – It’s not a complicated machines with moving parts, so putting it together is not a complicated task.
- 200 Pounds? No Problem – While more compact models can be a little too light to handle a person pushing 200 pounds in weight, this model is fine.
- Wobble – It’s a rather sturdy power tower, but for those that are more than 200 pounds, you might experience a little wobble when doing dips.
Fitness Reality X Class
When you’re looking for a power tower that’s built to last, you should check out the Fitness Reality X Class.
Without even going into the details, after a quick look you can tell it’s a serious piece of equipment. If you need a compact model, this is not the one for you. If you want something that you know can handle your weight, you’ve found the right one.
MAJOR FEATURES
The biggest feature of this power tower is how well it’s made and what it is made of. The frame is made of powder coated steel which looks as good at is works.
like the other powers towers above, this model allows you do to pull ups, chin ups, dips, knee raises, and pushups. But, it’s easy to do inclined pushups and progressive pull ups too.
Features include:
- Adjustable Handle Bars – You can alter the handles to increase the amount of exercises you can do.
- Multi-grip Pull Up Bar – Many towers have the basic pull up bar that allows you to do close grip and wide grip pull ups, but this tower also has grips for hammer pull ups.
- Thick Dip Handles – You no longer have to worry about thin dip handles cutting into your palms. These are thick and comfortable.
PROS & CONS
- 400 Pounds? No Problem – This is build so sturdily that it can handle up to 400 pounds. Wow!
- Warranty – The Fitness Reality X Class comes with a 10 years warranty on the frame and a 3 year warranty on parts.
- Cost – It isn’t easy to make such a solid piece of equipment, so this runs a little more expensive than other options.
Final Word
Some of the best muscle building exercises can be done with nothing more than your body weight. A quality power tower makes it easy to get all your body weight exercises into your workout. All three of the models reviewed will be great for you home, so you just need to decide on your budget, check how much open space you have, and make the purchase.
Time to get your workout on.